CHAPTER FOUR
ALARM BELLS CLANGED loud and clear in Kara’s mind.
There had to be a realistic alternative to staying, but for the life of her, she couldn’t come up with anything reasonable. One hesitant step after another led her across the threshold and into the log house. Warmth enveloped her in an instant.
“It’s getting really bad out there.” Jason slammed the door against the gusting wind before stomping the caked snow from his boots. “Let me get some lights on in here.”
He moved past her to a table and switched on a small antique lamp with little blue flowers painted around the base. The soft glow added warmth to her unfamiliar surroundings.
“Thanks.” She clasped her shivering hands, rubbing her fingers together.
When her eyes adjusted to the lighting, her curious gaze meandered around the place Jason called home. Worn yet well-kept maple furniture stood prominently in the room, with a braided, blue oval rug covering a large portion of the oak floor. Nothing flashy, but not dingy, either—more like cozy and comfortable.
Jason favored his leg as he made his way to the fireplace and arranged some kindling. He struck a match, and soon a golden glow gave his hunched figure a larger-than-life appearance. What would it be like to curl up with him on that leather couch with a hot mug of tea and a fire crackling in the stone-and-mortar fireplace? To sit there and discuss the day, or make plans for the future?
She gave herself a mental shake. This wasn’t a romantic vacation. Nor was she interested in curling up with him now or ever. She’d keep out of his way and wait out the storm. Once the weather broke and the plows cleared the roads, she’d be gone. And it couldn’t be soon enough.
She tugged her soggy jacket tighter, trying to ward off the chill that went clear through to her bones. All the while, she continued to examine her surroundings. A wadded up pile of white sheets lay on one of the armchairs, as though Jason was still in the process of making himself at home. Her attention moved to the oak coffee table with a folded newspaper and a tidy stack of what appeared to be sports magazines.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“You mean other than being snowed in here with you?” She couldn’t resist the jab. She didn’t want either one of them to get too comfortable in this arrangement and forget about all the problems between them. “Actually, I’m surprised to find this place so clean. I guess I just don’t think of men as being neat freaks. Unless, of course, you’re living with someone....”
The thought hadn’t occurred to her until then, and it annoyed her that it even made a difference to her. Yet the presence of a girlfriend would assure their past remained in the hazy shadows, along with the snarled web of emotions.
“I’m not involved with anyone.” The flat statement left no doubt in her mind about the status of his bachelorhood. “I learned to clean up after myself in the military. You’ve got to be prepared to move out on a moment’s notice, and you can’t be ready if your gear is in a jumbled heap.”
The tension in Kara’s stomach eased. Instead of examining her worrisome response to finding out he had no one special in his life, she chose to stick to safer topics.
Glancing up, she said, “I love the cathedral ceiling and how the chimney rises into the rafters.”
“Wait until you see this place with the morning sun coming in through the wall of windows on the other side of the room.”
Preferring not to dwell on the idea of watching the sunrise with him by her side, she pointed past the fireplace. “What’s over there?”
“My grandfather used the area as a study, and I didn’t feel a need to change things.”
She glanced around, taking in the winding stairs. “Where do those go?”
“To the loft. When I was little my grandparents used it as a bedroom for me. I’d spend hours up there playing. Now the space is crammed full of junk. Maybe this summer I’ll get around to throwing it all out.”
“Why would you want to do that? There are probably heirlooms up there that you’ll one day want to hand down to your children.”
His thick brows puckered. Storm clouds raced across his sky-blue eyes. “One man’s treasure is another man’s junk. And since I’m not having kids, I don’t need the stuff.”
Not having kids. The knowledge knocked the air from her lungs. He made it sound so final, as though he’d already given the subject considerable thought. She’d never heard him say such things when they’d been dating. In fact, they’d discussed having a boy and a girl. A little Jason and a little Kara.
In that instant, she realized a stranger faced her. What could have changed him so drastically? She bit back the question. None of her business, she reminded herself.
Dredging up these old
memories stung worse than pouring rubbing alcohol over a festering wound. Her judgment concerning men seemed to be made up of one painful mistake after another.
“I’ll get us something warm to drink,” he said, ending the conversation. “You can get out of those wet clothes in there.” He pointed to a door on the opposite end of the great room.
“I don’t have anything to change into. Besides, I need to call my family.”
“You need to get warmed up before you come down with pneumonia. Then you can phone home. It’s not late, so they shouldn’t be too worried yet.”